CALIBRATED DOSE CONTROL

• US 20160157524A1
• Filed: 12/04/2015
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JUUL Labs, Inc. (PAX Labs, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Adam Bowen, Ariel Atkins, James Monsees
• Inventors: INGEBRETHSEN, Bradley, LEON, Esteban, BOWEN, Adam, MONSEES, James, ATKINS, Ariel
• Granted Patent: US 10,512,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/167 in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/51 Arrangement of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/53 Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/57 Temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/65 Devices with integrated communication means, e.g. wireless communication means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0065 Inhalators with dosage or measuring devices A61M15/0028 takes precedence; dosage devices incorporated in aerosol cans B65D83/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0039 in the inspiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/33 Controlling, regulating or measuring
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8237 Charging means
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/22 : the element being a non-linear resistance, e.g. thermistor G01K7/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0027 : concerning the detector
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 : Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods and vaporizer apparatuses that estimate, measure and/or predict the amount of vapor and/or material (including active ingredients) released by the vaporizer apparatus. In particular, described herein are electronic vaporizers and methods of using them that determine a dose/amount of vapor and/or a material in the vapor based primarily or exclusively on the electrical and thermal properties, e.g., power or energy applied to the vaporizing element (e.g., heating coil) and the temperature of the material immediately before and as it is vaporized. Dose information may be used to control operation of the device and/or reported to the user.

Claims

1. A method of determining a dose of a vaporizable material delivered to a user of a vaporizing device over a time period, wherein the time period comprises a plurality of sequential time intervals, and wherein the vaporizing device includes a heater controller, a heater, a source of the vaporizable material and a vaporized dose predictor unit, the method comprising:

calculating, for each of the sequential time intervals, a partial dose, wherein the partial dose is calculated from a power delivered by the heater controller to the heater to vaporize the vaporizable material during a partial dose time interval, a temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized during the partial dose time interval, and a temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized before the partial dose time interval; and

summing the calculated partial doses in the vaporized dose predictor unit to determine a total dose of vapor delivered during the time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an amount of active ingredient delivered to the user based on the total dose of vapor delivered.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating further comprises determining a change in temperature (Δ

T) of the vaporizable material being vaporized for each of the sequential time intervals relative the temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequential time intervals are between about 200 msec and about 10 msec.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating, for each of the sequential time intervals, a partial dose is further based upon a latent heat and a specific heat of the material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating, for each of the sequential time intervals, a partial dose comprises subtracting from a first constant times the power delivered by the heater controller to the heater to vaporize the vaporizable material during the partial dose time interval, a second constant times the temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized during the partial dose time interval and a third constant times the temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized before the partial dose time interval.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the partial dose using the temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized during the partial dose time interval and the temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized before the partial dose time interval comprises using an electrical property of the heater that is proportional to the temperature of the heater as the temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized during the partial dose time interval.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising alerting the user when the total dose of vapor delivered during the time period meets or exceeds a preset threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling the device when the total dose of vapor delivered during the time period meets or exceeds a preset threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating and displaying a cumulative total dose of vapor delivered over a session period that includes the time period.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a user'"'"'s puff on the vaporizer device, wherein the time period corresponds to a duration of the detected user'"'"'s puff.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporizable material is a liquid.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporizable material comprises a tobacco-based material.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporizable material comprises a botanical.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporizable material comprises a nicotine compound.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporizable material comprises a cannabinoid.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporizable material comprises one or more of:

cetirizine, ibuprofen, naproxen, omeprazole, doxylamine, diphenhydramine, melatonin, or meclizine.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporizable material comprises one or more of:

albuterol, levalbuterol, pirbuterol, salmeterol, formoterol, atropine sulfate, ipratropium bromide, fluticasone, budesonide, mometasone, montelukast, zafirlukast, theophylline, fluticasone and salmeterol, budesonide and formoterol, or mometasone and formoterol.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporizable material comprises one or more of:

a polyphonel, a green tea catechin, caffeine, a phenol, a glycoside, a labdane diterpenoid, yohimbine, a proanthocyanidin, terpene glycoside, an omega fatty acid, echinacoside, an alkaloid, isovaleric acid, a terpene, gamma-aminobutyric acid, a senna glycoside, cinnamaldehyde, or Vitamin D.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporizable material comprises a nicotine salt, glycerin, and propylene glycol.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the vaporized dose predictor unit is part of a controller.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein summing the calculated partial doses in the vaporized dose predictor unit comprises aggregating them as each partial dose is calculated.

23. A method of determining a dose of a vaporizable material delivered to a user of a vaporizing device over a time period, wherein the time period comprises a plurality of sequential time intervals, and wherein the vaporizing device includes a heater controller, a heater, a source of the vaporizable material and a vaporized dose predictor unit, the method comprising:

transmitting a power delivered by the heater controller to the heater at each of the plurality of sequential time intervals from the power controller to the vaporized dose predictor unit;

calculating, for each of the sequential time intervals, a partial dose, wherein the partial dose is calculated from the power delivered by the heater controller to the heater to vaporize the vaporizable material during each of the plurality of sequential time intervals, a temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized during each of the plurality of sequential time intervals, and a temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized before each of the plurality of sequential time intervals; and

summing the calculated partial doses in the vaporized dose predictor unit to determine a total dose of vapor delivered during the time period.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising transmitting the temperature of the vaporizable materials being vaporized during each of the plurality of sequential time intervals from the power controller to the vaporized dose predictor unit.

25. A method of determining a dose of a vaporizable material delivered to a user of a vaporizing device over a time period, wherein the time period comprises a plurality of sequential time intervals, and wherein the vaporizing device includes a heater controller, a heater, a source of the vaporizable material including an active ingredient, and a vaporized dose predictor unit, the method comprising:

calculating, for each of the sequential time intervals, a partial dose, wherein the partial dose is calculated from a power delivered by the heater controller to the heater to vaporize the vaporizable material during a partial dose time interval, a temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized during the partial dose time interval, and a temperature of the vaporizable material being vaporized immediately before the partial dose time interval;

summing the calculated partial doses in the vaporized dose predictor unit to determine a total dose of vapor delivered during the time period; and

determining an amount of active ingredient delivered to the user based on the total dose of vapor delivered.